Heather Nova released her thirteenth studio album 'The Orchard' today, on October 30th, via V2 Records. It is the follow-up to her successful ‘Breath And Air’, released early last year, which received a unanimously positive reception.
Since her breakthrough in the early 1990s with the hit ‘Walk This World’ (from the album ‘Oyster’), Nova has been consistently writing, recording and touring. ‘The Orchard’ adds a bright new chapter to her now extensive body of work.
The album is strong on melodies and rich in poetic imagery. The songs delve deep emotionally, but the prevailing feeling is one of hope, light and possibility — exactly what many listeners need in these turbulent times.
Photo Credit: Sacha Blackburne
During the writing process, Nova realized that songs can be a form of manifestation: words sung on repeat while recording and performing take on a power much like mantras or prayers. “I wanted to be conscious of this as I wrote; Still mining the depths of emotion, as that is the job of the songwriter, but also being sure to tap into the light, and keeping in mind that whatever we do on repeat we embody”.
Speaking about her single ‘New Life’, she said: "Sometimes I write songs to help myself see things from a different angle. The process of writing “New Life” gave me hope and perspective - finding what’s good, what the lessons were, freeing me to move on, to love myself (always a work in progress) My hope is that the song will resonate and bring a little light to a few others out there too."
The album was recorded last winter in London with producer Tim Bran. Nova chose Bran for his sensitivity to the emotion of a song, and his ability to create authentic, natural yet contemporary productions — work she admires in his projects with Haevn and London Grammar. Bran produced and mixed the record and played bass, electric guitar, and keyboards. “Working with him was so effortless - we were on the exact same wavelength, and everything just flowed between us during our intensive 6 week session”
